title: Medical photography: a reliable and objective method for documenting the results of reconstructive surgery of pectus excavatum.
abstract: Patients with a pectus excavatum frequently experience medical problems such as dyspnoea, fatigue and palpitations. After surgical intervention most patients are alleviated of their symptoms. Pectus excavatum can easily be diagnosed by a proper inspection of the chest. In the Atrium Medical Center photographic documentation of the deformation of the chest is part of the treatment protocol before and after surgical correction of a pectus excavatum. In addition to the normal photographic routine two special recording techniques are applied: measuring the depth of the excavation with a rule, and documenting the depth of the excavation in a 3-D grid-projection image. The applied 3-D technique (raster stereography) can also be an asset to other medical specialty areas in which changes in body shape and appearance play a major role.
authors.affiliation: Atrium Medical Centre, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Höppener
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Siebenga
authors.forename: Hans A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kragten
mesh_terms: D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D010781:Photography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*